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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Mujeres al borde de un ataque de "nervios" (original title)
R | | Comedy, Drama | 11 November 1988 (USA)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Poster
A television actress encounters a variety of eccentric characters after embarking on a journey to discover why her lover abruptly left her.

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writer:

Pedro Almodóvar (screenplay)

Stars:

Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano | See full cast & crew »
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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 22 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carmen Maura ... Pepa
Antonio Banderas ... Carlos
Julieta Serrano ... Lucía
María Barranco ... Candela
Rossy de Palma ... Marisa
Kiti Mánver ... Paulina Morales (as Kiti Manver)
Guillermo Montesinos ... Taxista
Chus Lampreave ... Portera Testiga de Jehová
Eduardo Calvo ... Padre de Lucía (as Yayo Calvo)
Loles León ... Secretaria
Ángel de Andrés López ... Policía I (as Angel de Andrés-López)
Fernando Guillén ... Iván
Juan Lombardero Juan Lombardero ... Germán
José Antonio Navarro José Antonio Navarro ... Policía II
Ana Leza Ana Leza ... Ana
See full cast »
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Storyline

Pepas's lover, Iván, leaves her and she tries to contact him to find out why he's left. In her search for Iván, she confronts his wife and son, who are as clueless as she is. Meanwhile; Candela, her friend, is afraid the police might be looking for her because of her ex-boyfriend, a muslim terrorist, and his criminal activities. As the plot develops, it is revealed that everyone's lives are more intertwined than they could have ever expected. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

gazpacho | f rated | police | friend | madrid | See All (44) »

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

11 November 1988 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown See more »

Filming Locations:

Estudios Barajas, Madrid, Spain See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$700,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,179,298
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Laurenfilm,El Deseo See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

For a while the production of an American remake was considered, to be directed by Richard Benjamin, with Jane Fonda and Paula Prentiss in the roles respectively created by Carmen Maura and Julieta Serrano. See more »

Goofs

Pepa encourages one of her ducks to jump on a piece of furniture that was Ivan's. The duck refuses and Pepa says "she hates it." The duck, with a green head, is clearly a male. See more »

Quotes

Pepa: Hello. I'm the mother of the notorious Crossroads Killer. When my son comes home after one of his famous crimes, his clothes are just filthy.
[Pepa holds up a bloody shirt. The police arrive]
Policía I: Where are the clothes your son wore...
Policía II: At the time of the murder?
[Pepa takes a clean shirt out of the dryer]
Pepa: Right here. Sparkling clean.
Policía I: No trace of blood.
Policía II: Or guts.
Policía I: Unbelievable!
[Pepa holds up a box of detergent]
[...]
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Broken Embraces (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

Puro teatro
Written by C. Curet Alonso
Performed by La Lupe
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Almodovar sets his standard for dark humour
8 March 2000 | by aromatic-2 – See all my reviews

Truly wonderful and insightful romp which alternates between tragedy and farce seamlessly without ever missing a beat. Excellent performances by the entire cast contribute mightily as does a first-class camp score. This was the first Almodovar film I ever saw, and it made it a requisite for me to see each new one as it comes out. The man is a genius!
16 of 19 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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